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Is Your Hot Water Heater Leaking?

Have you noticed water around your water heater? Even if it’s a small trickle, your water heater may be leaking. At Oliver, we suggest addressing the issue quickly before it gets any worse. Contact our plumbing experts – we can determine exactly what’s going on and what needs to be done to stop your water heater leaking.

Possible Causes

A Loose Connection

On every hot water heater, there’s a cold and hot water inlet and outlet. This is where your pipes connect to your water heater to transport water into and out of the unit. If water is coming from the connections, your pipes may be loose. As a result, they may be the cause of your water heater leaking.

Water Tank Corrosion

When homeowners contact us about their water heater leaking, one of the most common reasons is due to water tank corrosion. Over the years, sediment builds up in the bottom of your water tank. As it sits, it begins to corrode, therefore causing the bottom to leak.

Temperature/Pressure Issues

Each hot water heater has a temperature and pressure relief valve (also known as the T/P valve). This valve is responsible for regulating the temperature and the pressure inside of your unit. The source of your leak may be a worn or damaged valve. If your valve is broken and there’s too much pressure in your water heater, it could also be forcing water out through the valve.

An Open Drain Valve

The drain valve is what allows you to drain out your water heater to help keep it clean. If your water heater is leaking from the drain valve, it may not be closed all the way. If you try to close the valve and can’t, you may need a new valve.

What to Do

If you’ve determined why your water heater leaking is happening and it’s something you can fix yourself, start by turning off the power to your unit. For an electric hot water heater, locate your circuit breaker box and turn off the breaker. For a gas hot water heater, locate the on/off switch on the unit and turn it off.

It’s also a good idea to turn off your water supply. If your leak is significant, we suggest turning off your main water supply. If it’s small, you can simply turn off the supply to the unit by turning the handle or dial located above the water heater.

Have a Larger Issue?

Once you’ve done these things, you can inspect the system and find out why your water heater is leaking. If it’s a simple fix, you’ll likely find the supplies you need at your local home improvement store. If it’s a larger issue, however, we suggest calling our plumbing experts. We can assess your situation and seal up your water heater properly so that the leak doesn’t get any worse.